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Pursuant to Legislative Decree No.29 of 15 January 1970 with particular reference to paragraph (g) of Article 29 (the Act on the Entry, residence and exit of Aliens), and considering Foreign Ministry endorsement dated 30 August 1970 concerning the granting of Expatriate citizen Certificates,

Decides the following:

Article 1

The Expatriate Citizen Certificate Committee shall be composed of the following:

-Vice-Minister of the Interior for Police Affairs

Chairman

-Director of the Consular Department Agreement the Foreign Ministry

Member

-Head of the Political Security Department

Member

-Head of the Immigration and Passport Department

Member

-Head of the Nationality Section in the Immigration and Passport Department

Rapporteur

Article 2

The Committee shall meet Agreement the invitation of its chairman and shall consider applications for Expatriate Citizen Certificates, or demands for the withdrawal of such certificates. Its decisions shall require a majority vote and the chairman shall have a casting vote in case of a tie.

Article 3

Applications for Expatriate Citizens Certificates shall be submitted, on special forms, to Syrian consular missions abroad or to the Ministry of the Interior (Department of Immigration and passports) at home. An applicant must meet the following conditions:

A. He must be of Arab origin, not resident in any Arab state or national of any Arab state.

B. He must not be member of any political party, society, or club opposed to pan Arabism and has never engaged in any anti-Arab activity whether within or without.

Article 4

Heads of political and consular missions abroad shall give their frank assessment of the applications submitted to them and shall clarify all relevant points. The Head of the Department of Immigration and Passports shall use all means possible to verify data and ascertain appropriateness of application.

Article 5

The Expatriate Citizen Certificate shall be granted by the Minister of the Interior. It shall be duly processed by the Department of Immigration and Passports (Nationality Branch) which shall keep a special Register of the names of all such certificate holders.

Article 6

Holders of the Expatriate Citizens Certificate shall enjoy the following privileges:

A.They shall be exempt from the entry visa, the residence permit, and the exit visa requirements. Formalities for them are confined to recording their arrival.

B.They shall have the same rights as Syrian Arab citizens with regard to the right to work in private establishments, to open their own stores, and to practice business.

C.They may invest assets in Syria and transfer those assets in accordance with the laws and regulations applicable to Syrian Arab citizens.

D.The shall be treated on equal footing with Syrian Arab nationals and provided with all possible assistance by Syrian Arab missions abroad.

E.They shall have the right to own and inherit property in Syria, even if the country of their nationality does not give Syrians such right.

F.The shall have the right to acquire the Syrian Arab nationality in accordance with paragraph (A) of Article 6 of the Nationality Act No.276 of 1969.

Article 7

The Expatriate Citizen Certificate shall be withdrawn if it is found that the holder has exploited his position against the interests of the country.

Article 8

The case of someone from whom the certificate has been withdrawn may be reconsidered six months after the withdrawal decision.

Article 9

Anyone from whom the Expatriate Citizen Certificate has been withdrawn in pursuant of Article 7 above has the right to liquidate his business in Syria in accordance with the provisions of these regulations within three months from the date of the withdrawal decision, provided that this does not affect the rights of others.

Article 10

Decision No.553 of 26 November 1963 and Decision No. 1733 of 19 September 1965 along with all other inconsistent provisions are hereby rendered invalid.

Article 11

This Decision shall be published and communicated to all concerned.

Damascus, 5 October 1970

The Minister of the Interior

[1] See Regulations governing Applications for Naturalization, and for Recovery and Renunciation of Nationality below.